Barri Bryan is the pen name for Billie Houston. I acquired a pseudonym at the behest of my adult children when they discovered a steamy excerpt from one of my romances at the web site of a publisher.

I grew up during the thirties. My formative years were spent in a small town in West Texas. Life was simple them. I could accept what was without questioning what would be, or wishing for what would never come to pass. I sensed there was a world beyond my limited horizon. but it seemed remote and far away. That horizon began to expand and move nearer when I discovered reading and books.

My dad taught me to read before I started to school; thus began my journey. When I was in the seventh grade, I found the Bronte sisters and fell in love with romantic novels. Since then, I've been an avid fan of happy-ever-tales.

Today I am a wife, a mother of three, and a grandmother to seven wonderful grandchildren. I am also a former teacher and educator and a published author with over twenty novels, four books of poetry, numerous essays and short stories, and one how-to-write book to my credit.

I have a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas. I hold six valid teacher certifications.

My writing career began late in life. I wrote my first book in 1990. My first romance was published in 1998. I write the kind of books I enjoy reading --- romantic tales about relationships; stories that explore feelings and probe emotions. The plots revolve around ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances and faced with difficult decisions.

I like poetry, George Strait's music, old movies and Earl Grey tea. My hobbies are reading, quilting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, taking long walks, and growing house plants and herbs.